Ballyea 1-19
St Thomas 2-14
Declan Rooney reports from Semple Stadium
NIALL DEASY SCORED 1-11 for Munster champions Ballyea in Semple Stadium this evening as they booked their place in the AIB All-Ireland senior hurling club final on St Patrick’s Day, after holding off an incredible comeback by Galway’s St Thomas.
Deasy had already scored 1-41 in Ballyea’s nine championship matches en route to the All-Ireland semi-final, and he gave a stunning display as Ballyea became the first Clare club since St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield in 2000 to reach the decider at this level.
Ballyea held a 0-10 to 0-3 lead at half-time, and Deasy struck their goal in the 41st minute, in a brilliant move which began with Tony Kelly in the Ballyea defence.
But Conor Cooney and Anthony Kelly scored third quarter goals for St Thomas’ who mounted an amazing revival after trailing by 12 points with 12 minutes remaining.
Kelly’s injury-time goal cut the gap to the minimum but St Thomas were denied at the death as Tony Kelly clipped over the insurance score for Ballyea.
Ballyea dominated the opening half. Galway county star Conor Cooney missed three frees but Deasy scored six and a point from play for Ballyea.
Deasy scored their first point from distance in the seventh minute, and they led 0-2 to 0-1, when St Thomas’ got their first score through Darragh Burke in the ninth minute.
St Thomas’ would only add two further scores in the first-half, Darragh Burke again on target, while Kenneth Burke scored in the 15th minute. But Ballyea were too strong and they led by seven at the interval.
Darragh Burke tried to haul Ballyea back early in the second-half for St Thomas and Conor Cooney did score a 47th minute goal from a free.
But despite St Thomas’ late rally, Deasy’s effort in the 41st minute was the crucial score and sealed the win as Ballyea head for an All-Ireland final after winning their first ever Clare senior title last October.
Scorers for Ballyea: Niall Deasy 1-11 (0-9f), Tony Kelly 0-3, Gearoid O’Connell, PJ Connolly 0-2 each, Cathal Doohan 0-1.
Scorers for St Thomas: Darragh Burke 0-8 (0-6f, 0-1 ’65), Conor Cooney (1-0f), Anthony Kelly 1-0 each, Kenneth Burke 0-2, Shane Cooney, James Regan, Donal Cooney, Eanna Burke 0-1 each.
Ballyea
1. Kevin Sheehan
4. Brian Carrig
3. Jack Browne
2. Joe Neylon
5. Gearoid O’Connell
6. Paul Flanagan
7. James Murphy
8. Tony Kelly
9. Stan Lineen
10. Niall Deasy
13. Pat Joe Connolly
12. Cathal Doohan
15. Pearse Lillis
11. Gary Brennan
18. Damien Burke
Subs
17. Martin O’Leary for Burke (33)
St Thomas
1. Patrick Skehill
2. Fintan Burke
3. Cathal Burke
4. Eanna Burke
5. Donal Cooney
6. Shane Cooney
7. James Regan
8. David Burke
9. Bernard Burke
10. Conor Cooney
11. Darragh Burke
12. David Sherry
13. Brendan Farrell
14. Sean Skehill
15. Kenneth Burke
Subs
17. Anthony Kelly for Sherry (22)
23. Mark Caulfield for Farrell (44)
Referee: Sean Cleere (Kilkenny)
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Hopefully when Kilkenny roll into town the craic will be mighty and Dr. Cullen hopping.
Well perhaps they Carlos GAA board could start with maybe organising a proper all county league . Only hurling played in the County is the championship which gives each player a maximum of 5 games in.
Even with football, each club player only gets about twelve games..
Reason Dublin are successful is because each player get 14 to 16 league games, plus championship and some cup games
Uneven spread of money to bigger counties like Dublin, Kerry , Kilkenny and cork . Money should be going to smaller counties .Why are the bigger counties , getting the largest slice of the cake .
2. Facts are he is a teacher and is apart of the demographic that will play the game into the future . People are working more unsociable hours than ever before . I believe Pat Spillane alluded to this a number of years ago .. . And it will have a detrimental effect on the game ..
I agree with the sentiment, but surely the onus is on Carlow and other such counties to get their houses in order first? If they’ve lost four hurling clubs in the past few years, can Croke Park really force clubs to start up again? And as an aside….is he really saying they’re not good enough for the top level of the championship, and maybe shouldn’t be there after all?
They should dismantle it and football and concentrate on some we’re fairly OK at. Rugby
There is a culture of entitlement in Carlow, not just in GAA circles,that allows them to moan & groan about their situation but fail to understand that results and improvements come as a result of good structure & governance, initiative & hard work. The article is from the heart and no doubt, borne out of disappointment & frustration, but the heartening part is the author appears to have the wherewithal to contribute constructively to an improving situation.
@Liam Mernagh: thats a load of rubbish !!
@eamonn farrell: you’re entitled to your opinion, but I think Carlie’s GAA record speaks for itself. The truth can be difficult to swallow.
@Liam Mernagh: Carlow’s even.
… just to add – i don’t see why that duality of thinking is so problematic. The giving out about the Boston trip smacks of small mindedness but it’s the same black and white thinking we see everywhere these days
Agree totally with Paul.
I don’t see why you can’t develop the game from both ends of the spectrum. Put in the work in growing the game domestically and in places where it isn’t taking hold. At the same time maintain it’s profile internationally.